Quote Originally Posted by Letters View Post
It's not realistic to expect a side to improve every year but I agree that from where we are we certainly should be looking to improve and we've been treading water for far too long. The lack of any trophies over the last 8 years is a major failing of Wenger.

Finishing top 4 every year shouldn't be dismissed as if any idiot could have achieved that, clubs like Spurs and Liverpool have thrown enough money around and failed to do it consistently, but we do seem as a club far too content to just hang in there and not try and push on and seriously challenge.
Maybe the new commercial deals and FFP will see us become more competitive. I'm not holding my breath though.

We could do a lot worse than Wenger but the main bit of your post I agree with is about hope. Most of us have lost faith in Wenger's ability to deliver trophies and if at the start of the season you feel you have no hope of that then what's the point? I don't feel we're that far away from a side that can seriously challenge, we just need to do the right things this summer. Trouble is I've thought that for the last 4 summers...
We are miles away from having a team that can challenge. Think about it. The senior players now are Sagna (who wants out), Ramsey, Walcott - these were prospects not that long ago now they are top of the tree. Ludicrously we have a captain who can't get a game. A second rate striker to replace RvP. A joke of a winger in Gervinho. A shitarse like Chamakh still sucking money. We're talking about fighting to hold onto one of our "star" players - Koscielny FFS! A kid with prospects in goal. A couple of Germans who blow hot and cold. A tick-tock Spaniard trying to be a Vieria or Gilberto, and one genuinely class player in Cazorla if you rule Wilsher out as being a victim of that thing Wenger said he'd never allow, burnout. Gibbs is okay, maybe something there.

But all in all MOST of these players need to be replaced if we are going to build a team to challenge for the title. Even then you'd have to rely on Wenger playing then in the correct positions or not coming up with some bizarre match blowing tactics at the crucial points in the season. Worst team we've had in decade and the result of a steady drain that I guesstimate will take around £250mill (including wages) to fix. Probably more. You can't ever, ever let players like Fabregas and RvP go if you are serious about building a team. Those transfers were the clearest signal that the priorities of the club are entirely mismatched to those of the fans.

We finished top 4 every year because that's what the balance sheet required. The 4th place trophy is a financial trophy. This is why Wenger is spoken of so highly by the chief beneficiaries.